TL/Editor: Butter Cat

    Status: 4/week mon-thurs

    Illustrations: none

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    〈 Chapter 80 〉 Chapter 80. Ashes

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    —Nudge, nudge.

    "Sis Sia, let''s hurry!"

    "Even if you don''t rush me, I''m not going anywhere. Alice."

    "Heehee. Okay!"

    Perhaps it was because of the light sleet that had fallen yesterday.

    The weather wasn''t so sunny that the harsh sunlight was waiting, nor was it so cloudy that it was dark and gloomy.

    A perfect balance of clouds and sunlight, the kind of sky I loved the most.

    Under that soft, fluffy sky, I slowly stepped out the door, guided by the small hand leading me

    Tap, tap, matching my body''s rhythm to the sound of footsteps.

    Worried that my clumsy gait might bump into that delicate body if I didn''t match the steps.

    Each step I took was filled with the utmost caution.

    And, behind me.

    —Crack!

    "Ugh…! You… Han Sia…!!"

    "Have a nice time, Princess Aris~"

    "Seriously, why are you blaming me for this..."

    I felt a burning gaze directed at the back of my head as I was about to leave.

    I had a rough idea who it was, but the persistent stinging sensation made me reluctantly turn around. And sure enough, there was Remi Akaia, glaring at me with jealous eyes.

    Next to her was Tessa, who had come to the entrance to see Alice off, waving her hand in our direction.

    I smiled wryly, stroked Alice''s head once, and waved back at them.

    Are you jealous?

    —....!!

    But apparently, even that displeased her.

    "...Let go of me, Tessa. This is a royal order. I can''t let this stand."

    "...I serve Tesillia."

    Grab, and a groan.

    They were seeing Alice off, but their bodies were shaking strangely.

    Considering Tessa''s arm and the faint sounds of struggle coming from behind them, I couldn’t even begin to imagine how intense the battle unfolding behind them must be.

    Tessa, you''re working hard.

    I''ll buy you something delicious later.

    Something cheap, though.

    —Crack!!

    "I want to go toooooooooo!!"

    "...Good grief."

    With a loud noise and the sound of something breaking.

    From my perspective, I could clearly see sawdust, which looked like wood shavings, fall from Remi Akaia''s hand.

    As if threatening to do the same to me, she pointed at me and then at the sawdust, and then drew her thumb across her neck.

    Seeing that universally understood body language, I silently prayed that I would live to see tomorrow''s sunlight.

    How many times have I offered this kind of prayer now.

    Well, still.

    "I''ll be back, Big Sis Remi!"

    "O-Okay! Have a good time, Aris!"

    Alice had her wrapped around her little finger.

    The moment Alice turned around and shouted that she''d return, Remi Akaia''s previous expression vanished completely, replaced by the saintly smile of a doting older sister.

    No matter how precious her little sister is to her.

    This princess really discriminates too much.

    Why was she taking out her frustration on me just because she and Alice couldn''t go to the flower garden yesterday due to the rain.

    At that inexplicable injustice, I shook my head.

    Really, this is too much.

    Exactly forty-eight hours from now.

    In other words, two days ago.

    In the dormitory where I was staying, there was someone named Remi Akaia who had been very excited since the day before, thinking about going to the flower garden with her little sister after a long time.

    But what awaited her wasn’t a happy and joyful time with her little sister, but unfortunately, a gathering of dark clouds.

    Before long, the sky turned so dark that not even stars could be seen.

    And so, the next morning arrived.

    In other words, yesterday.

    The ominous premonition came true, as sleet suddenly began to fall from the morning, it is said.

    With that kind of weather, what else could be done.

    Forget about a flower garden visit, the weather was telling them to stay inside and mope around. Her plan to take Alice to the flower garden was rejected with one vote in favor, one abstention, and two votes against.

    Thump, thump, thump. Three strikes of the gavel.

    ''Nooooooooooo—!!! I want to go play with Ariiiiiiiiiis!!!!''

    ''...It''s okay, Big Sis Remi. We can go next time.''

    The perfect realization of democracy in the dark ages.

    Hmm, by the way.

    ''...It feels like the roles of child and adult have been reversed, am I the only one who feels this way?''

    ''I also feel somewhat that way.''

    I’ll leave it to your imagination as to who voted for what.

    If I had to give a hint, let''s just say that someone shamelessly tried to attack the person who abstained out of guilt and couldn''t bring themselves to vote against her, a truly ungrateful act.

    Votes should be anonymous in principle, after all.

    That''s what democracy is all about.

    Well, anyway.

    How many people had been mobilized to stop Remi, who, pointing at the overcast sky, had insisted it was perfect weather for going out, claiming that the shade was good.

    How much effort had been spent to subdue her tantrum as she insisted she could still go and tried to take Alice to the flower garden, it took a whole hour.

    She had been clinging to the door, refusing to budge until Alice, unable to watch any longer, patted her head and soothed her.

    And then, the very next day, today.

    ''Whyyyyyyyyy—!?''

    ''....Wow, jackpot.''

    On the morning when it was finally my turn to go out with Alice, the clouds that had covered the sky had miraculously vanished.

    —Tap, tap.

    "Mm~? Hmm, hmm~?"

    "..........."

    After many twists and turns, we finally started our walk.

    Alice was humming, seemingly so happy about finally visiting the flower garden again.

    Since her reunion with Remi Akaia, she had only occasionally viewed it from afar, rarely visiting the flower garden directly, so for Alice, this was almost like her first flower viewing in a month.

    "Heehee. We''re going to see flowers~"

    "...Let''s enjoy it to the fullest today, Alice."

    What is it that she wants to see so badly.

    The child, holding my left hand tightly with her right, her little legs busily moving towards the flower garden.

    Alice, already excited about the place we were about to visit, looked no different from any other child her age.

    Yes.

    She was a child who was happy just to be able to go where she wanted.

    A child who was happier than anything just by going to the place she wanted to go.

    "Hmm~?"

    "......."

    Perhaps because I was focusing on Alice with such dark thoughts.

    It was inevitable that the long piece of cloth fluttering in the wind opposite Alice kept catching my eye.

    "......."

    Swoosh, cutting through the wind.

    Like a windsock dancing in the street, Alice''s empty left sleeve dangled limply. sea??h thё N??eFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Within that long sleeve, which needed to be rolled up at least seven times to reveal bare skin, a wrist that had been lost because of the person she trusted most, existed in vain.

    On her skin, hidden by her clothes now, cruel scars were etched all over her body, scars that she couldn''t bear to show to others.

    Wounds created by a momentary lapse of judgment, a single wrong choice.

    But that''s why it felt even more bitter and painful.

    A small change.

    If only that had happened, a happy, ordinary life would have been waiting for the child.

    That fluttering sleeve, as if a horrific past contained within those wounds were cursing at the child, saying that the words ''ordinary'' and ''happiness'' could never exist in her future.

    As if an unbreakable shackle was wrapped around the child''s ankle.

    I simply couldn''t take my eyes off Alice''s blurry figure.

    A world where the nonsensical practice of shamanism was rampant, where curses could be cast on strangers and deadly poisons freely created.

    A world where strange monsters were summoned and beasts strong enough to crush steel with bare hands roamed the villages.

    But ironically.

    There wasn''t anything, anything at all, that could make this gentle and kind child happy.

    After what felt like an eternity but was only a few seconds,

    Feeling a slight shift in weight from a sudden stop, Alice and I came to a halt just before the flower garden.

    "Hmm? Is something wrong, Sis Sia?"

    "....Nothing."

    "Uuu…! It doesn''t seem like nothing? Really?"

    Did she notice that I was troubled.

    Alice, who had been walking ahead, stopped and looked up at me with worried eyes.

    In those clear, blue-green eyes, filled with pure concern for me, the reflection of a gloomy-faced woman that anyone could tell was ''troubled'' could be seen.

    "........"

    Alice smiled and asked me if something was bothering me.

    That appearance was so calm, it was hard to believe she was the same child who had been screaming and crying just days ago.

    Alice. You''re not really okay, are you?

    Alice. You''re actually in pain but enduring it, aren''t you?

    It was only natural that such thoughts would swell up from within my chest, almost to the point of bursting.

    But in the end, all I could offer were those irresponsible, empty words that anyone could say.

    "It''s nothing."

    "....? Okay, Sis."

    Really.

    Really, it''s nothing.

    Swallowing the words that had come up to the tip of my tongue, I could only mutter that it was nothing, words truly devoid of any meaning.

    "Heehee. I''m excited to see the flower garden."

    "....Me too."

    "I''m really, excited."

    And so, the two of us, hiding our true feelings from each other.

    Slowly entered the flower garden where the flowers were waiting.

    **

    "I have to do it…!"

    What can be heard is the sound of sword and stone grinding against each other.

    "To save the one beside that horrific monster, I have to…!"

    What can be heard is the sound of someone steeling their weak heart.

    "This is something only I can do…!"

    —Clink.

    In the darkness, a cold blade reflecting the faint glow of a small oil lamp.

    And within that killing intent, a head of green hair shook violently.

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